Founding member of the Punch Brothers, Grammy-nominated Noam Pikelny has emerged as the preeminent banjoist among a new generation of acoustic musicians. Praised as “a player of unlimited range and astonishing precision” by comedian/banjoist Steve Martin, Pikelny will release his new concept album Noam Pikelny Plays Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe Oct. 1 on Compass Records. Joining Pikelny on this recording are bluegrass instrumentalists Stuart Duncan (fiddle), Bryan Sutton (guitar), Ronnie McCoury (mandolin), and Mike Bub (bass).

Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe—recorded in 1976, five years before Pikelny was born—features 12 classic tunes written by The Father of Bluegrass, Bill Monroe, and performed by his longtime fiddler Kenny Baker. The album’s concept first came about when Pikelny jokingly texted McCoury, asking, “Could I get away with calling an album Noam Pikelny Plays Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe?” It was over a year later that, upon reflecting on the joke, Pikelny began listening to Baker’s album with fresh ears and saw that it offered him an opportunity to develop a unique banjoistic voice for that particular set of bluegrass standards.

Pikelny will showcase the album on tour this October and November with a band that includes Bryan Sutton (guitar), Jesse Cobb (mandolin), Barry Bales (bass) and Luke Bulla (fiddle). Check out the tracklist, Pikelny’s tour dates and the song “Big Sandy River” below.